Another diagnosis for the DSM

[nbdy]

RST, Religious Trauma Syndrome, has been suggested to identify a recognizable and unique set of symptoms related to "prolonged exposure to a toxic religious environment and/or the trauma of leaving the religion." A toxic religious environment is described as one that is authoritarian, isolates the individual from outside influences, and employs fear as a means for control. The groups I recall being specifically mentioned in the article are fundamentalist Christians, Latter Day Saints, and Jehovah's Witness. What do you think?

http://www.alternet.org/belief/how-conservative-christianity-can-warp-mind

[anunitu]

Re: Another diagnosis for the DSM

Hummmmm....Not at all surprised at this..

[B. de Corbin]

Re: Another diagnosis for the DSM

That was fascinating.

The description sounds about right to me.

Something that you must bear in mind is that this is describing a "diagnosis," not a "law."

A diagnosis is made when a patient is ill, and describes the symptoms & cause (I suppose, if know).

So - does an overly strict religious up bringing sometimes cause mental illness? Yes, therefore it can be a diagnosis.

But - a diagnosis doesn't make a strict religious upbringing wrong, immoral, bad parenting, illegal, or low class. The diagnosis just says that when the patient displays X symptoms, they Y is the cause, and Z is the accepted treatment.

[Willow]

Re: Another diagnosis for the DSM

It sounds like an extension of the cult-victim description to me. Which would make sense, given the article's focus and descriptions.

You get some of the same things from other causes; abusive parents for example. But it's interesting nonetheless.

[Medusa]

Re: Another diagnosis for the DSM

How many more 3 letter 'traumatic recovering syndromes' are we gonna have?
Life. The four letter syndrome you die from.

[Aeran]

Re: Another diagnosis for the DSM

Doesn't sound like a diagnosis so much as a cause of diagnoses. If I fall off the roof and break my leg, the diagnosis isn't ''fell off roof,''' it's ''broken leg.''

[Jera]

Re: Another diagnosis for the DSM

Excellent article. I was brought up as a Jehovah's Witness. My mother left the congregation some years ago and has been shunned. Her brothers no longer speak to her, and we have zero contact with our extended family. I can see the psychological scars left on her from this event and the years of indoctrination which she knew in her heart to be off-course but didn't dare to question. She now lives with the knowledge that her beloved brothers will die without letting her know, she will not be allowed to attend their funeral, and they won't attend hers in the event of her death. I applaud her for having the courage to not go crawling back and repent, like so many other apostates do when their families shun them, in order to have them in their lives again. But I can only imagine the pain in their hearts that persists even after years of being out of the grip of that malevolent institution.

[Heka]

Excellent article. I was brought up as a Jehovah's Witness. My mother left the congregation some years ago and has been shunned. Her brothers no longer speak to her, and we have zero contact with our extended family. I can see the psychological scars left on her from this event and the years of indoctrination which she knew in her heart to be off-course but didn't dare to question. She now lives with the knowledge that her beloved brothers will die without letting her know, she will not be allowed to attend their funeral, and they won't attend hers in the event of her death. I applaud her for having the courage to not go crawling back and repent, like so many other apostates do when their families shun them, in order to have them in their lives again. But I can only imagine the pain in their hearts that persists even after years of being out of the grip of that malevolent institution.

Shit, your poor mum. Send her our thoughts, shes amazing. X